Chapter 47: A Guardian of ZENTHRA III
Chapter 47: A Guardian of ZENTHRA III
His hands moved faster than ever, already having communicated with Kitsuul as he locked his fingers around the handles of all the cases containing the glowing gold serums. He stacked three cases into the palm of his left hand with practiced ease.Then, he turned sharply to the right. Under a row labeled Beast Crystals Tier IV, he grabbed two more matte black cases.
Lastly, he snatched a final matte black case from a section labeled Guardian Cache.
Three in one hand. Three in the other.
The moment he had them all, he launched himself toward the elevator, speaking quickly to Anastasia.
"I’ll be by the elevator in three seconds. Do you already have a location for me to stash these?"
His heart pounded from the sheer adrenaline of the moment.
He was stealing from ZENTHRA.
Something terrifying—something no Stackborn would ever attempt. And yet, here he was.
The elevator doors opened just as he arrived. Inside, the button for the 1st floor was already glowing. Anastasia’s voice echoed clearly.
"Exit the ZENTHRA Beast Corporation building completely. Past the fanatics screaming for Guardians—Guardians who are actually killing their own people—you’ll find an automatic disposable ZENTHRA Bot labeled ZENTHRA Waste Management Unit 30-XA. Place the cases inside and shut it."
...!
She had thought of everything. Damian couldn’t help but admire her, while also hearing her added distaste towards the fanatics who cheered for Guardians.
He listened to the soft elevator dings until the doors opened on the first floor—and then he shot out like an arrow.
None of his force or momentum registered to the outside world. The cases in his hands were cloaked in the same veil of light that covered his body—utterly invisible.
He slipped past the throngs of employees and out into the open. He noticed, almost in disbelief, that the crowd outside hadn’t thinned over the past six or seven hours. It had grown—more people now stood in support of the Beast Corporation.
He moved quickly, scanning the area. To his right... he spotted the mobile square bins—the trash collectors of ZENTHRA.
He honed in on one of them, locating ZENTHRA Waste Management Unit 30-XA, its wide metal lid already open.
Damian didn’t hesitate. He placed the six matte black cases inside and shut the compartment doors without a word.
"Done."
His heart still pounded with exhilaration as he spun around and raced back toward the ZENTHRA Beast Corporation building. From the corner of his eye, he saw the disposable unit—filled with priceless contents—roll away in a different direction than the rest. Its wheels clicked softly on the clear pavement.
"I’ll take it from here," Anastasia said. "You won’t hear from me. I’ll make my exit after getting you back in."
She was already planning the next steps.
Damian nodded, rushing through the building again. He reached the elevator and tapped his earpiece to signal her. As the soft dings returned, the lift rose back toward the 150th floor.
In less than a minute—
WHOOSH!
The doors slid open.
No one was inside. But Damian was already sprinting toward the Trial Guardian Room. As he arrived, he spoke again.
"In front of the Trial Guardian Room."
CLICK!
The handle lit up and the door unlocked, opening slightly.
He slipped in.
"I want to say this will hurt ZENTHRA," Anastasia’s voice came through once more, "but they’re only losing a bit of inventory. I’ll get the items somewhere safe. You finish this orientation. Surveillance drones may pick up the discrepancy soon, but act normal. I’ll be in touch."
The door closed behind him, and Damian exhaled. He mentally signaled Kitsuul, the veil of invisibility lifting.
The obsidian-marble floors veined with silver and softly pulsing aether circuitry offered no comfort. Not even the levitating bed in the distance could ease the nerves he felt as he stood before the two matte black and purple Trial Guardian Welcome Cases.
He had just stolen from ZENTHRA.
And he didn’t even know how valuable the things he’d taken were.
Only time would tell.
He stepped forward and unlatched one of the cases.
With a soft hiss, sterilized air escaped as the lid opened.
Inside, nested in molded foam, was a pristine white ZENTHRA reinforced suit—lightweight, flexible, yet impossibly strong.
Beside it, an Obsidian Entropic Soft Crystal pulsed gently with violet light, vibrating with dormant power.
A silver-shelled Next Gen Communication Device blinked to life, displaying encrypted startup code.
Rows of labeled Beast Nutrient Vials shimmered like bottled starlight, enough to sustain Kitsuul or any other Interstellar Beast for thirty days. Beneath them, he found a multi-tool wristband, scent-masking spray, and several slim ZENTHRA protocol handbooks.
He picked up the softly glowing Obsidian Entropic Soft Crystal and turned to Kitsuul.
"What do you think?"
This crystal was meant for Interstellar Beasts. Only given once per month to Trial Guardians. It aided their evolution, advancement... possibly even transformation.
On his shoulder, Kitsuul’s six translucent tails twitched with curiosity. Her silver eyes locked onto the crystal.
The violet pulses called to her.
With a delighted chirp, she leapt forward and snapped it up between her jaws. Damian barely had time to react before it vanished down her throat, devoured like a treat.
Immediately, radiant silver waves rippled across her fur. Her small body shimmered, expanding slightly, as if absorbing the energy of a star.
Her tails flared outward, glowing with newfound intensity. Kitsuul blinked, let out a pleased hum, and turned to Damian with a look that clearly said:
That tasted good.
But that was all.
Her mental state remained steady.
Their bond was unchanged—if anything, it felt stronger. More fortified.
Damian gave a small nod and opened the second case, tossing the next Obsidian Entropic Soft Crystal to her while raising the white ZENTHRA Trial Guardian suit.
He began putting it on.
But midway through the process—
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Warning horns blared across the 150th floor like a sudden alarm.
He paused, suit half on, eyes flashing.
Had the discrepancy already been found?
Were the missing Nanotech Blood Serums already noticed?